Also, just a note on my portfolio. It was hideously out of date so I’m in the process of uploading some work to my Behance profile and also experimenting with Adobe’s My Portfolio – which has been a bit clunky so far with things disappearing and really slow page loads. Anyone else had these issues?

In keeping with one of my New Year’s resolutions, I have been making time for personal projects more of a priority this year. There’s only so much work, chores, parenting, study and sleep you can get done in one day and why should ‘me time’ be always put on the backburner?

Actually, there’s an answer for that. Because if you’re like me and always striving for the most efficient output of items to be actioned in one day it’s easy to override it for ‘more important’ items. A change in perspective made me realise that it’s actually not so efficient to be continually running on empty, because then when you are trying to action all those daily things without having rested creatively and mentally, it’s harder to focus and easier to make mistakes which slows you down. Efficient? Not any more.

Plus, it’s fun, skill-building and satisfying for me to sit down and illustrate. Along with some regular classic drama viewing sessions and drinking wine and/or coffee with friends, these are the things that are gonna keep me sane in 2017.

I referenced this kitty from the Siamese breed, but I think my heart kinda also blended in bits of my tortoiseshell girls as well (Poodgey, who went missing last year and utterly broke my heart, and our current girl Bonnie). Anyway, I really like how he turned out.

If you love cats and freebies as much as I do, you might like to use him as a wallpaper on your desktop (or your phone like I have).

A visual identity branding concept for the Organ Historical Trust of Australia. Yes, my organist husband was the catalyst for this one!

I’m so in love with this vivid shade of blue at the moment. Even though YInMn Blue was discovered in 2009, it’s popularity has only really soared in the last couple of years as designer’s and artists try and replicate it’s striking hue on screen and in print.

One thing I’m trying to focus on this year is improving my approach to minimalism. It’s never just been about a trend for me (I do adore minimal design though) but more of a lifestyle mantra.

Input fatigue

Due to ongoing sleep deprivation from having a baby, I struggle a lot with excess noise and sensory input throughout the day. If I’m not careful to filter the amount of information I need to process during the day, the result is input fatigue. I can’t think clearly, which makes me frustrated, and then my attitude, mood and work suffers.

Can you relate?

Over time, I have and still continue to discover processes and tips that work for me, and I’d love to share them with you, in the hopes they help you too. If you have any advice or a tip that has worked for you, please let me know – I’m all ears!

I thought I’d start with a really basic tip for my fellow creatives (there’s nothing too small – seriously, they all help):

How to get rid of the distracting “Start” workspace in your CC apps

Whenever I open InDesign or Illustrator or Photoshop, I cringe at the “Start” Workspace that appears. All those visual thumbnails (or long list, if you have it set to list format) of my recent work doesn’t make me feel inspired or help me to find what I am looking for. It is visual clutter for me, and akin to sitting down to a messy desk rather than a clean one. Ugh.

The solution? Go to Preferences > General and untick ‘Show “Start” Workspace When No Documents Are Open’, and click OK.

Minimalism 1 | Clutter 0

Told you it was simple, right? But now whenever I open any of my apps, I am greeted with a clean, black space with no distractions. Annnnd *exhale*. That’s better now, isn’t it?